Powerpuff Girls:Shattered Reality
by RacheReloaded
Summary: Epilogue and Timeline added.
1. The Beginning

Powerpuff Girls: Shattered Reality  
  
February 16, 2001 AD  
  
The Oval Office, The White House, Washington DC, United States of America  
  
The President of the United States, supposedly the most powerful man in the world, certainly did not look the part. Sure, he had during the campaign trail, the crazy election results from New York, and his inauguration in January of this year, but then all hell broke loose. . .  
  
It had begun at 5:32 AM, Pacific time, February 2. The front line of the invasion fleet had been mistaken for massive cargo shipments from China. That illusion had lasted until the landing craft had opened and half a million Red Chinese troops poured into San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle. The hasty resistance from the US forces in the area was crushed, and the US military pulled back to safer positions.  
  
The President ran a hand through his brown hair. "Ok, Thom. What's the situation on the West Coast?"  
  
Thom Rodgers, the Secretary of War, sighed. "Not good, sir. We estimate about a million Chinese troops occupying pretty much our entire western seaboard. We have no military presence in the area to speak of, and the strict gun-control acts California passed are removing any hope of civilian resistance. We've pulled back everything from the front lines, and we're pooling it in a defensive line next to the Sierra Nevada mountain range. But. . ." (here John shook his head) "we're just spread too thin. It'll take months to pull our forces out from Iran, Egypt and Somalia, and we don't have that kind of time."  
  
The President's face was a mask of stone. He had expected it to be bad, but not THAT bad. . .   
  
"John, what do the Big Three say?"  
  
John Hedges, Secretary of State, held up some papers. "Sir, England is too caught up in their own civil war to help us. I have received apologies from London, however, and I believe we may expect aid from them once their civil war is completed."  
  
The President smirked darkly. "In other words, never." He waved his hand for John to continue. The SecState complied.  
  
"The official line from Germany is neutrality. I would guess that they're worried about the Middle East oil fields being lost if they go to war with China."  
  
"So, any help from Europe is out of the question."  
  
"Yes, sir. We have gotten some promising messages from the Russians, but they are officially claiming neutrality."  
  
The President rubbed his chin. An alliance with the Russians. He almost smiled at the 'joke'. America and Russia fighting alongside each other barely 7 years since the end of the Cold War. . .  
  
John cleared his throat to get the President's attention again. "One more thing, sir. Both Russia and Germany have sent messages to us and the Chinese. The messages say, in effect, that they will go to war against the first country to use nuclear weapons."  
  
"Damn!" cursed the President. The message from the Russians and Germans effectively took away America's ace-in-the-hole: the largest nuclear stockpile in the world.  
  
The President looked up. "Thanks. You can go now." John and Thom stood to walk out of the room.  
  
"Wait, Thom, stay a second."  
  
"Sir?"  
  
The President sighed. "Thom, they've tied our nuclear hand. What's the situation on that new eapon you've been funding?"  
  
SecWar Thom smiled. "Sir, we've begun the first testing earlier today. Once it's up and running, we'll blast those Chink bastards back to the Wall."  
  
"Excellent" said the President with a grin. But, that grin quickly faded as the President's eyes settled on a picture of his family. He reached out and took the picture from his desk and stared at it. He looked up at Thom with the fiantest glimmering of tears in his eyes. "Have you found anything, Thom? Anything about them?"  
  
Thom's steel-blue eyes softened at his longtime friend's distress. "No, sir. No word from anywhere. As far as we know, they vanished clear off the map."  
  
The President looked once more at the picture, then sighed hard and placed it back on his desk. He then glanced up at Thom. "Thom, make that weapon happen. No more failures."  
  
Thom saluted. "Yes, sir." The general turned on a dime and strided out of the Oval Office, leaving the President alone.  
  
The President ran his fingers along the frame of the picture. Tears slowly ran down his face. "Oh, my girls. . . Where are you?"  
  
Alone in his office, the most powerful man on Earth, Commander in Chief of the entire United States military, Jack Utonium cried.  
  
------------------------  
  
Two hours later  
  
The Office, Reichstag, Berlin, Germany  
  
The leader of Germany sat behind a desk not much unlike his American counterpart. The red armband on his right arm contrasted sharply with his steel-gray boots and black clothing. Behind him hung a giant German flag, the large red rectangle with a white circle, centered on a black tilted, hooked cross. The display was obviously to imtimidate anyone who entered the Office of the Fuehrer of Germany.  
  
The chilling display did not faze the small form now standing in his Office now, however. The Fuehrer smiled.  
  
"What information do you bring from America, Agent Blue?"  
  
The small figure lifted her face, looking the Fuehrer directly in the eyes.  
  
"Plenty, sir. And plenty you will find useful. . . " 


	2. The War Broadens

Author's note: Hey, glad you like it! And I won't say if Agent Blue is Bubbles or not, you'll just have to wait and see. ;-)

Also, if you would be interested, I could add a timeline as an appendix, showing the history of this world.

Powerpuff Girls: Shattered Reality

Chapter 2

February 20, 2001 AD

London, 'United' Kingdom of Greater Britain

A small figure floated down a deserted street in the once-mighty city. Her black cloak fluttering, she pulled back the hood and took in the view. 

London was a devastated wreck. The rebels had torn the city apart when they swept through the day before. Her emerald eyes flashed as she turned a corner and saw the famous clock tower in flames.

"Those Irish bastards." She fumed. "Britain could be helping us now if it wasn't for you." The Irish uprising had begun barely two years earlier, when the large island of Eire to the west of England had revolted. The Irish Army had invaded England in December of 2000, and had by now taken the southernmost portion of the country.

She floated faster towards the ruins of the Parliament building. Her hypersensitive hearing was picking up the heartbeat of somebody buried in the rubble. Zipping over, she focused her inner abilities and fired high-intensity laser beams from her eyes into the debris.

When the smoke and dust cleared, a brown-haired man, wearing what used to be a formal suit and lying on his stomach, lifted his head and coughed. He looked up at his rescuer and smiled. "Thank you." He managed to say before another dust-caused coughing fit shook his body.

The emerald-eyed girl picked the man up and slung him on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Prime Minister Cooper. I'll get ya out of here."

With that, she took off into the sky, leaving a very faint green trail against the dark smoky sky.

March 15, 2001 AD

25th Russian Army, Vladivostok Province, Russo-Chinese Border

Russian General Vladimir Ivanovich Alekseyev stared across the border with China.  Undoubtedly, his counterpart in the Chinese Army was staring right back. General Alekseyev stood with his upper body out the top of his top-of-the-line T-100 tank, the leader of this entire division.

He reflected on the irony. Eight years ago, he would have been overjoyed to be crushing the American army on its own soil. But times had changed. With the fall of the Soviet Union, China stood as the last Communist nation on Earth. And they were doing the impossible. They were beating the United States military.

Alekseyev chuckled at the irony. A slight whistling sound swept by his ear and he raised his hand to shoo the bug away. 'Wait a second . . .' his mind raced. 'That sounded like a . . ." The general dived back into his tank, yanking the hatch shut behind him, just in time to deflect the second sniper bullet. Grabbing the radio from his surprised driver, he screamed into it.

"All groups, red alert! There is a sniper in the area!"

The commander of the second tank in his squadron was not as lucky as his general. Looking back through his periscope, he saw his second-in-command's head explode into a fountain of red. Alekseyev felt his stomach clench at the bloody death of his friend, but his warrior training squelched it. There would be time for mourning later, he told himself.

It was when he turned the periscope forward that he realized how long it would be until that 'later'. At least 3 divisions of Chinese tanks were rolling over the border in a sweeping tide. Having studied Chinese doctrine, Alekseyev knew that close to 8 more divisions would follow. China was banking everything on this war, hoping to destroy both the United States and the Russian Federation.

"Crazy bastards," the general said under his breath. "All tanks, prepare to engage!" he ordered to his army.

Just past a small river in southeastern Russia, the two largest armies on Earth smashed head-on into each other.

The World War grew larger . . .

(Excerpt from _Encyclopedia Germanica_, 2032 Edition)

(There has been considerable dispute among historians on the number of World Wars. Quite obviously, the wars of 1914-1918 and 2001-2003 were global, but the greatest dispute occurs over the war of 1939, as many historians cannot even agree whether it ended in 1940 when the British government sued for peace or after the Balkans collapsed to Germany in 1941 . . .)

April 5, 2001 AD

Denver Defense Line, Colorado, United States of America

The relentless advance of the Chinese Army had rolled over the meager defenses in Oregon, even with the Russians entering the war. The city of Denver posed the main checkpoint for the Chinese, as the city was well defended by the Rocky Mountains around it and the massive fortress the Americans were putting together. If China managed to crack Denver, they could swoop down onto the wide, flat Great Plains, where almost nothing could stop them.

Lieutenant Colonel Andrew O'Brien ducked into his trench as the concussive blast from Chinese artillery shells burst over him. "How the Hell did they get that artillery up here, anyway?" he shouted at his trench mate, Private Michael Dassel. "Damned if I know!" was the reply. "What do they think they are, supermen?"

O'Brien smiled, despite the hellish roar. When the blasts faded away, he raised his head and looked around. No troops were incoming, Chinese or American. But the light was gone. 'The light's gone?' he thought, confused.

Instinctively, O'Brien looked up. Several of the Chinese shells had exploded far above the trenches. O'Brien had chalked it up to bad guidance, but that hadn't fit right. The rest of their advance had been flawless, why would there be a problem now . . .?

O'Brien's blood ran cold as he saw a spreading black stain on the sky. He shook, despite his training, and nearly panicked. His grandfather had told him about this stuff, used back when the Jerries were the enemy.

**Gas.**

O'Brien ran for a special control button and smashed the glass, tripping the switch. Air raid sirens blared all over the defenseless city as the black cloud settled down over it. He ran for the gas masks, but the black gas was already burning his eyes, he was breathing it in with each inhalation, he was almost to the masks . . .

As he grabbed a mask and shoved it over his face, O'Brien's eyes watered up. "Those bastard sons of bitches . . ." were his words as he fell unconscious. 


	3. The Gas Effect

Powerpuff Girls: Shattered Reality  
  
Chapter 3  
  
April 6, 2001 AD  
  
Oval Office, White House, Washington DC, United States of America  
  
The President growled under his breath. The surprise gas attack by the Chinese Army had taken the entire western front by surprise. The black gas had been spread over the entire front, from the Canadian to the Mexican borders. He could picture the thousands of American troops laying dead wherever the gas had hit them.  
  
He gestured to the Secret Service agent standing nearby. The agent stepped forward and held up a black suitcase handcuffed to his wrist. He placed the suitcase in front of the President and opened it. Inside the suitcase was a large screen showing major military and political targets in China. Also listed were armed American ICBMs loaded with chemical bombs ready to fire at those targets.  
  
President Utonium sighed. He placed his fingerprint onto the scanner and was identified. He stepped back and Secretary of State Hedges placed his fingerprint on the space, confirming the President's order. The President stepped forward again. With the push of a button, he would deliver over a hundred chemical weapons strikes against China. He reached towards the red button . . .  
  
Same Time  
  
Hanger 2, Nevada Desert, Secret Military Base codenamed "Area 51"  
  
The small device on the tabletop was familiar to many citizens of the United States, especially those old enough to remember the Cold War with the Soviet Union.  
  
The Geiger Counter, which had been sitting peacefully, suddenly went wild with clicking as a young red-haired girl floated by.   
  
"Ensign" Blossom growled. "Haven't you figured out how to shut that thing up yet?"  
  
Ensign Millard saluted crisply. "No, ma'am. There's no way to get it to discriminate between your radiation and nuclear radiation."  
  
Blossom sighed. "Yes, I guess there isn't. Still -" She was cut off as the dozen giant silo doors buried in the sand outside ground open, revealing gleaming white missiles, tipped with chemical warheads.  
  
"What the Hell?!" Blossom started, realizing what was happening. "SHIT! Ensign, get the report to the White House NOW!"  
  
The White House  
  
The Secretary of War, Thom Rodgers, burst into the Oval Office as the President placed his finger on the button. "Mr. President, wait! We just got a new report from the front lines!"  
  
President Utonium pulled his hand back. Turning to face his SecWar, he asked somewhat coldly, "What? How many dead?"  
  
Rodgers cleared his throat. "None, sir."  
  
The President's eyes widened. "What?!"  
  
The SecWar said it again. "None dead, sir. The gas caused minor irritation and some coughing, but nothing more than what chalk dust would. Also, the reports confirm that the Chinese did not begin attacking until the gas had dissipated, for reasons unknown."  
  
The President scratched his chin in confusion. "That doesn't make sense. Why would you use a worthless gas, and then wait out the time that your enemy is panicking?" He pondered on this issue. "Get a chemical analysis of that gas, if you can find any. We need to know what it is."  
  
"Yes, sir" Rodgers left the Oval Office.  
  
The President turned and saw the suitcase still open on the table. "Deactivate that thing and get it out of my sight" he said with disgust. 


	4. September 2001

A/N: Heh heh heh . . . this might be going to 'R'. If you come in and don't see this fic where it should be, be sure to check there.   
  
Powerpuff Girls: Shattered Reality  
  
Chapter 4  
  
September 2001 AD  
  
The World War is still raging across Asia and North America. Through an incredible effort, American forces have held Denver, Colorado against the Chinese invaders. Elsewhere, they have not been as lucky. The states of California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah are fully under Chinese domination. All of America's Pacific possessions are lost, and Alaska is under siege.  
  
Russia is also faring badly. The Chinese onslaught caught the Russians totally unprepared. Vladivostok has been surrounded and all lines of supply to the city have been cut off. Russia's only move now is to trade space for time. As the largest country on the planet, Russia has plenty of icy wasteland to give up before anything becomes critical. Though the Russians are rushing their armed forces to the Chinese front, their ace-in-the-hole is swiftly approaching - General Winter. The cold Siberian winter is already locking the Chinese lines in place.  
  
Germany remains neutral. The great fascist empire sits quietly on its powerful army and large nuclear stockpile, prepared to enforce its "No Nukes" declaration. However, it is well known that Berlin has always declared Communism to be its worst foe, even working with Britain and America against the Soviets several times during the Cold War. German entry into the war is quite possible.  
  
Britain is locked in its civil war with the Irish. Though British forces have retaken their capital, the Queen, Prime Minister, and the surviving members of Parliament remain in Stockholm, Sweden. Southern England is a bombed-out wasteland, torn by artillery shelling and land mines.  
  
The Powerpuff Girls continue their assignments, behind the scenes of the great war at center stage.  
  
Blossom remains in Area 51, hidden underneath the Nevada desert to hide from the Chinese. The super-secret base is working furiously to complete the massive projects assigned to it. The inventions may turn the tide of the war.  
  
Buttercup continues her operations in England, helping the British as much as she can.  
  
Bubbles, aka 'Agent Blue', continues her intelligence-gathering operations for the German Reich. Uncountable American, British, and Russian secrets have been revealed to the Germans due to her efforts.  
  
The war goes on . . .  
  
September 2, 2001 AD  
  
Oval Office, White House, Washington DC, United States of America  
  
The President looked up, eyes puffy and bloodshot, as the door to his office creaked open and a figure stepped in.  
  
"Yes, Thom, what is it? More useless chemical attacks?" The President sighed.  
  
"Yes sir. The Chinese have been blasting every city they advance to with that Antidote X gas. They're scared of your Girls, sir. They've especially hit Townsville hard. 26 gas attacks, all Antidote X, in the last two and a half weeks."  
  
The President rubbed his aching eyes. "Did you get the message from Geneva?"  
  
The Secretary of War looked confused. "No, sir. What did it say?"  
  
President Utonium picked up a sheet of paper on his desk and read it. "It pretty much says that the Antidote X attacks are not considered to be true chemical warfare. Nobody's died or even gotten sick from it, so Geneva has ruled it as a smokescreen-type gas."  
  
The SecWar appeared blank. "So, they're saying that -"  
  
The President interrupted him. "They're saying that, even if this shit burns the skin off my Girls, they won't call China on a chemical weapons violation because not enough people died!" Utonium smashed his fist onto his desk. "God, damn them! The bastards!" His eyes freely poured their tears as the stress and rage of the past eight months of war, worry, and hatred finally broke through his attempts to bottle them up.  
  
SecWar Rodgers stood silently as the President expended his rage on the tough oak desk. His own eyes began to well up at the pain of his friend. 'I wish I could tell him. By God, I do.' he told himself. Rodgers knew Blossom was in Area 51 and even though he had no idea where the other two were, he knew that that small bit of information would comfort his friend.  
  
However, he also knew that Area 51 was off-limits, even to the President of the United States. And Jack wasn't stupid. He'd know where to look if Thom told him Blossom was alive on a military base, but couldn't tell him which one. And the Area 51 project was far too important to give any part of it away, no matter how close their friendship was.  
  
Thom looked at his President as Utonium managed to bring his emotions under control. He was going to hate this part . . .  
  
Utonium looked Thom in the eyes, his bloodshot eyes giving him a haunting quality. "What's the CIA's take on how the SOBs got Antidote X, anyway?"  
  
"Sir, they've checked both your laboratory and the one in Townville's old observatory. No Antidote X was missing. It doesn't even look as if the stuff has been touched since you discovered it, sir."  
  
The President leaned back in his chair and motioned for Thom to continue.  
  
"Sir, the only explanation the CIA could come up with is that the Chinese hold one or more of the Powerpuff Girls captive. And . . . and, due to the amount of Chemical X needed to create and test Antidote X, they are most likely dead." Thom waited for the outburst.  
  
The President's eyes stormed. "Thom?" he growled.  
  
"Yes, sir?"  
  
"Finish whatever the Hell you have been funding. Finish it now. Those Chink sons of bitches are going to pay, and pay dearly. I will make sure the bastards learn that when you invade the United States of America, you will get nothing but a pile of dead bodies to ship back home. Incidentally" (here the President's face broke into a savage grin) "how many Chinese are there . . .?"  
  
Thom fidgeted. "At the 2000 League of Nations census, 1 and a half billion, sir."  
  
The President's grin grew even harsh and bloodthirsty. "Then you better get started, shouldn't you?"  
  
September 11, 2001 AD  
  
New York City, New York, United States of America  
  
The world's largest city was just beginning its day. Despite the war on the west coast, NYC had taken the shortages and other wartime happenings in stride. The huge city had never been as busy as it had the last eight months. The people had banded together, doing whatever they could to help their country. The mightiest symbol of this was the mighty 120-story Global Trade Center, a twin towered structure towering high above the vast city.  
  
Suddenly, air raids sirens blared all over the city, echoing down the vast concrete caverns. Several whitish specks had appeared just over the horizon and where glowing brighter every second.   
  
The populace of New York City immediately shifted gears. People rushed toward the large fallout shelters and tried to get out of the taller building as quickly as possible.  
  
A shrill shriek seemed to split the sky asunder and a powerful gout of flame erupted from the side of the North Tower of the GTC. People around the building screamed as fiery glass rained from the sky, slashing and burning their skin.  
  
More shrill shrieks zipped across the sky, blasting holes out of buildings, collapsing bridges, wiping out whole crowds of people in a single blast. More and more, they came, fiery Horsemen of the Apocalypse.  
  
The once-strong Chrysler Building was scorched and blackened, and the metal on the western side was melting away, the skyscraper groaned as another powerful blast shook the structure. The groaning turned to fierce metallic shrieking as the massive building's supports collapsed. The Chrysler Building, some parts still shining brightly in the sunlight, fell like a mighty tree, crushing countless people and buildings under its bulk.  
  
As swiftly as it had begun, the attack ended. New York City was engulfed in flames. Inconceivable damage had been done, and almost no building had escaped injury.  
  
Even as the New Yorkers struggled to pull their wounded out of the rubble, one last blow to the city sounded like a final taunting laugh by the faceless enemy. The North Tower of the Global Trade Center suddenly blasted fire from its lower levels, bringing the massive structure down into itself.  
  
The black dust from the burning city could be seen as far away as Washington DC.  
  
September 25, 2001 AD  
  
Dublin, Eire  
  
Buttercup rustled her black cloak around her, to lower the chances of her detection. She was infiltrating the capital of the Irish Free State to gather intelligence . . . and, of course, to kill any tasty 'targets of opportunity'. She smiled. This was why she had joined the CIA/MI-6 team known as "The Tiger's Teeth".  
  
Normal international laws did not apply to her. She was, in effect, nobody. The government of the United States would disavow any knowledge of her existence should she be captured. Her grin grew wider. Of course, it did come with its bonuses . . .  
  
She jumped out of her hiding place and slashed the throat of an Irish soldier with a large pocketknife. She leaped backwards and jumped over and behind a stone wall as the man collapsed and choked on his own dark red blood.  
  
Buttercup cleaned off the knife on the grass and was about to get up when the dark night sky above suddenly turned to daylight.  
  
She looked around in confusion. Had she fallen asleep? No, she checked the blood on the grass and it was still fresh and moist. Then what -  
  
Her head filled with incredible pain. Her hypersensitive hearing could be toned down to a normal human's but the noise had taken her by surprise. The roar seemed impossible, as though it engulfed the entire country, as though the Earth itself had tired of man's foolishness and let loose a howl of protest, and sound crushed her mind below its overwhelming power, nothing was there, nothing nothing nothing  
  
Nothing but the sound of the fury of God. 


	5. Innovations

Same Time  
  
September 25, 2001 AD  
  
North American Strategic Defense Command (NORAD), Underneath Pike's Peak, Colorado, United States of America  
  
The General gaped at the readings coming out of the sensors.   
  
"Is this information accurate?" he said, his mouth dry as cotton.  
  
"Yes, sir. It just happened barely a minute ago."  
  
The General hurried towards a large red phone on the wall that connected directly to the White House. "Mr. President, we have a situation here. The Brits have gone nuclear."  
  
September 26, 2001 AD  
  
The War Room, Beneath the White House, Washington DC, United States of America  
  
The President rubbed his temples, trying to rub away the splitting headache he felt coming on. "What's it look like, John?"  
  
Secretary of State Hedges cleared his throat. "Sir, at 11:45 PM, London time, the British launched a massive nuclear strike on the Irish island. We picked up 4 separate atomic detonations, over the cities of Belfast, Cork, Shannon River, and one over the Irish Navy just off the southwest coast of Ireland"  
  
"Dammit. I suppose we should have seen it coming, though. How many dead?"  
  
"Unsure sir, but it is likely that all the inhabitants of those cities are dead."  
  
President Utonium looked up and saw his SecState was quite unhappy with the next bit of information. He sighed and said, "There's something else, isn't there?"  
  
"Dublin was vaporized . . .with a thermonuclear warhead"  
  
The President, instantly revitalized, bolted upright in his seat. "They used WHAT?! Since when do the British have a thermo-fucking-nuclear warhead?! What is Germany saying about this?!"  
  
"The Germans are pissed-off, sir. Berlin's screaming their heads off over the fallout being blown into Normandy."  
  
"No nuclear threats?"  
  
"Yes, one. Basically the same one we got. 'No more nukes, or we'll blow you away' stuff."  
  
A sad smile crossed the President's face. "Not much left of Ireland to nuke now. What's the British government saying?"  
  
"The Prime Minister has claimed full responsibility for the use, and the Queen has shown that she approved the nuke plan. Also, Britain has agreed to Irish independence."  
  
The President smirked. He had known Gregory since before his election as President. He certainly didn't seem like the type to use nuclear bombs on Ireland. The granting of independence fit, though; the irony of it was just like him.   
  
"Ok, enough about Britain, what about the Russians?"  
  
September 26, 2001 AD  
  
The Ruins of Dublin, Ireland  
  
Buttercup sat up and coughed, the harsh spasms helping to reawaken her senses.  
  
Pain came first, pain burning deep into her back and head.  
  
Then was sound, and the creepy silence caused a shiver to run down her spine.  
  
Feeling worked its way down her hands, registering the blood dripping from her.  
  
Finally, her sight came back, and she beheld a city transformed.  
  
The 35-megaton blast had torn Dublin into shreds. No building remained, only a vast plain of burnt ground and ash.  
  
The wall she had leaped over had saved her life, the thick stones shielding large amount of the radiation and sheer force of the blast. Nevertheless, she could feel the radiation she had absorbed eroding her cells as she sat there.  
  
Buttercup stood up and tried to stretch. It wasn't long before a blinding pain rocked her body. Reaching a hand back, she found her cloak and the back of her shirt had been melted off. The skin of her back was scorched and burned, the fierce, twisting marks sometimes melding into the pieces of cloak that hadn't been vaporized.  
  
She was glad for the Chemical X in her bloodstream. The presence of the chemical had saved her life, and was even now working to restore her back.  
  
'I'll be ok . . .' she said doubtfully. 'I gotta see if there's anyone else alive . . .'  
  
She scanned the area, searching for life, any life at all. Spotting shapes against the remains of a building in the distance, she slowly took flight and hovered over to them.  
  
As she got into range, her vision improved. She suddenly stopped and brought her hands up to her mouth, trying to hold back the retching.  
  
Burned into the ruined wall were 4 shadows. Two larger ones, probably a man and woman. The woman had been holding a small bundle when the Bomb had exploded. Also scorched into the wall was the shadow of a dog in mid-jump, caught unawares by the power of the hydrogen bomb.  
  
Buttercup fell to her knees, unable to hold back the sickness any longer. The sound of her retching was the only sound in what was once Dublin.  
  
November 19, 2001 AD  
  
Hanger 3, Area 51, Nevada Desert, United States of America  
  
"Awesome!" was Blossom's remark as she beheld the newest innovation from the massive laboratories of Area 51.  
  
The object in question was a large suit of armor. Not a suit of armor like the Middle Ages, but a suit that totally shielded its user. The outside was a titanium-alloy with a thin diamond coating, while the inside held a gooey gelatin substance to absorb blows.  
  
The full list of gadgets and gizmos in this suit took up 200 pages. This suit was nearly invincible, incredibly powerful, and totally kick-ass!  
  
And it was all America's . . . the Armored Combat Suit.  
  
"Very impressive, General." Blossom smiled. "With this, maybe we can beat back the Chinks."  
  
"Yes, it will definitely be a great asset. I've already authorized a few for combat. We'll be getting the results back soon . . ."  
  
November 20, 2001 AD  
  
Hell's Creek, Montana, United States of America  
  
The front line had broken. Swarms of Chinese tanks and soldiers were pushing forward through a massive gap in the enemy lines.  
  
A single American M2 Patton tank roared through a passageway through the forest. Its entire division had been destroyed, and the tank commander had decided to live to fight another day.  
  
That wasn't likely, however. Like bloodhounds after a wounded game animal, the Chinese tanks were closing in, determined to eliminate the last American armored vehicle in the area.  
  
The Patton tank ground to a halt as the commander opened the top hatch and scanned the area. He couldn't stop for long; he could hear the engines of the Chinese as they gained on him. Making a quick check of the area to ensure his position, the commander was about to climb down into his tank when a voice called out from behind a clump of trees.  
  
"Hey buddy, you need a safe place to get to?"  
  
The commander looked towards the sound. "Hell, yeah. Where do we need to go?"  
  
The commander got the shock of his life when a large armored suit stepped out and pointed.  
  
"You can get behind me, commander. I'm part of the 555th ACS division, and the Chinese are going no further." 


	6. A New Year

HG: I really wish I had an ACS too...  
  
PLC: There is no North Korea in this version of history. Like I said earlier, I will post a timeline at the end of this fic chronicling just how all this came to be.  
  
Dooly: ACS suit height varies for the person, but on average, they're about 6 to 9 feet tall.  
  
Powerpuff Girls: Shattered Reality  
  
Chapter 6  
  
November 20, 2001 AD  
  
Hell's Creek, Montana, United States of America  
  
Commander Stephen May turned his head inside the gelatin goop of his ACS suit. The suit, responding to his movement, turned the 'helmet' to where he was looking. The ACS suit did not have a traditional viewing window; instead a complex system converted the outside into a view projected on the inside of the 'helmet'. This eliminated the fragile glass view port and sealed up the suit.  
  
Right now, that view port was showing about 26 Chinese T-85 tanks, one of the toughest tanks in the world, cresting the nearest hill. May smirked. He had bet 6 bottles of beer on the chance that he could smash this entire force single-handedly. Just in case he messed up, his teammates were nearby, ready to step up if needed. 'Get ready to buy me a six-pack, boys' May laughed as the first Chinese tank drove into range.  
  
May raised his left arm and pointed the clawed end towards the nearest T- 85. "Say hi to the Devil for me!" he shouted as he pulled a trigger.  
  
The 'palm' of the ACS opened, revealing a tube, much like the ones used to launch anti-tank rockets. What burst from this barrel, however, was far different.  
  
The T-85 never knew what hit it. Neither did its three squadronmates following behind. A burst of hyper-velocity depleted uranium rounds tore through the tank's thick armor like paper. The bullets, moving approximately 5% the speed of light, also brought a powerful sonic boom and a terrific blast of heat with them. Anyone in or around the tanks was boiled or crushed, or both.  
  
When the tanks farther back began to fire, the rounds merely bounced off the incredible armor of the ACS like paper balls. Commander May, grinning devilishly, continued to destroy the column of tanks until nothing was left but smoldering craters.  
  
Shouting to his teammates over their intercom, May gleefully said "So, which one of you is buying?"  
  
The Armored Combat Suit had proven its worth.  
  
January 1, 2002 AD  
  
A new year began. There were no huge celebrations as in years past. The famed Times Square in New York City had been demolished by another Chinese rocket attack.  
  
Another Chinese rocket attack had destroyed the US's only operating ACS factory. Only 5 ACS were in the field and only 2 could be completed with what was left.  
  
However, there was good news. Both America and Russia had managed to stop the Chinese advance. America's massive Rocky Mountains and Russia's cold Siberian wastes had proved too much for a China beginning to overextend its supply lines.  
  
The German Reich still remained neutral in name, but cargo and supply trades with the Russo-American alliance had grown faster than trades with China. It was fairly obvious that Germany would enter the war, but they were certainly taking their sweet time about it.  
  
February 19, 2002 AD  
  
Just off the Normandy Coast, Greater German Reich  
  
Bubbles floated just above the surface of the dark gray water. The chilly wind blew her blond hair forward, and she raised a hand to brush it out of her face. Then she spotting the dark splotch against gray clouds, and flew over to meet it.  
  
Buttercup's cloak fluttered around her, neatly concealing the scars from the H-Bomb blast that still lingered on her back. Buttercup had decided to not have the scars removed, not the smallest reason was she could claim to have lived through a hydrogen bomb detonation and prove it.  
  
The sisters met above the dark, rolling waters of the English Channel. Both reached into their clothing, and both pulled out a folder. The two exchanged folders, nodded to each other and flew back to their respective countries with no words spoken.  
  
Bubbles smiled as she crossed back into German territory. She would likely get a promotion for this . . .  
  
April 6, 2002 AD  
  
Iraqi Desert  
  
Von Bock, a German Lt. Commander on loan to the Middle East Organization, was bored. There was nothing out here in this godforsaken corner of the Earth. Nothing, that is, but oil. Vast oil fields lay here, mostly untapped, enough to fuel Germany's military for years to come. It was von Bock's job to guard this vital area, but he had decided to inspect the defenses the next day. 'Tomorrow, I'll give the whole camp a good shakedown' Von Bock lies down in his bed, drifting off to sleep.  
  
He never woke up.  
  
The Chinese commando team slipped out of the now deceased von Bock's command post. Slipping through the night, the team stealthily killed every German in the complex. Drawing their weapons, the Chinese forced the Arab workers to step up the drilling for oil. China was in desperate need for oil, and the Middle Eastern oil fields had proven too tempting a target.  
  
One commando stopped his work for just a second, to pray to gods he wasn't supposed to believe in that their actions would not bring Germany into the war.  
  
Of course, they did.  
  
April 17, 2002 AD  
  
Berlin, Greater German Reich  
  
The Fuehrer of Germany, Gerhard Schroeder, gave a speech on the steps of the Reichstag. His words electrified his people and the sagging morale of Russian and American troops. None could explain the Fuehrer's change in speechmaking. Never before or since had Schroeder spoken with such force and power behind his words. Some said that it seemed almost as if he was channeling Hitler in that speech.  
  
If that was the case, then it was fortunate. From the most unlikely of places, the very halls of fascism were bringing forth badly needed aid for the democracies.  
  
For the first time in 60 years, Germany was going to war. 


	7. The Alliance is Forged

April 21, 2002 AD  
  
Taipei, Republic of China  
  
The German foreign minister stood up and offered his hand to his ROC counterpart.  
  
The ROC foreign minister smiled. "The people of our Republic have the utmost gratitude to you for this agreement. Your government may begin landing its troops here as soon as possible."  
  
The German, Martin Fritz, also smiled. "We are grateful for your assistance. We will assist you in your fight with the best Germany can offer."  
  
The two ministers shook hands. The alliance between the German Reich and Nationalist China was now reality.  
  
Less than two days later, German divisions began to unload from their transports onto the small island just off Red China's coast.  
  
Their general was a man named Rommel . . .  
  
April 30, 2002 AD  
  
Western Texas plains, United States of America  
  
"Damn these Texans!" The Chinese field marshal screamed in frustration. He had overseen the first invasions of California, and had been surprised by the tenacity of the American citizens there. But nothing had prepared him for Texas . . .  
  
It seemed every citizen had some kind of gun in his vehicle, and that the crazy Americans enjoyed hunting his men down like deer. The Chinese hadn't even been able to hit any of the Texan vehicles, because the damned things were too fast!  
  
The Chinese marshal stewed, growing angrier as he thought. These damned Americans! Why couldn't they just accept their fate?! No, these people were different. The governor of this province, a George Bush, had even urged the people to fight even if there was no hope of winning. The Marshal shook his head. If the Americans weren't such ferocious fighters, he would think they were all insane. Perhaps they were.  
  
Some had even begun grouping themselves into commando units and calling themselves 'wolverines', which his scouts had reported was either a fictional superhero with unbreakable bones and razor-sharp metal claws, or a feisty cat-sized animal with enough strength to kill a panda. He did not like the connotations of either definition.  
  
The marshal was snapped out of his reverie by a voice calling out in English, "WOLVERINES!!"  
  
The sharp hiss of a rocket scorched across the sky, and the tank behind the Marshal exploded, killing its crew and blasting bits of metal and burning material across the area.  
  
The other tanks turned their guns toward the origin of the rocket, but the firing only wasted bullets. The Texan was gone.  
  
The veins bulged on the Marshal's forehead. This whole goddamned province would be like this! And from the advance reports on the other provinces in the southern half of the United States, it wasn't going to get any easier!  
  
"Driver! Signal the battle group! We're turning for this city here!" the Marshal bellowed, pointing viciously at a large city on a map of this province.  
  
The whole group, roughly 11 divisions of tanks with artillery support, turned and began advancing on San Antonio.  
  
May 5, 2002 AD  
  
Shanghai, People's Republic of China  
  
The SS team slipped quietly through the city, slinking down back paths and squeezing between buildings.  
  
The 5-member team continued their stealthy approach until they reached a tall building in the exact center of Shanghai. The team leader glanced around, and then signaled for the team to enter the building.  
  
They climbed the stairs down to the fuel tanks below the building. There the team finally stopped.  
  
While Goring and Heinz covered them, the other members pulled three pieces of equipment from their backpacks. Two bombs, one low power, the other high- power, and a large tank of high quality gasoline were unloaded and placed together.  
  
The simple operation was over in 30 minutes, and 4 members of the team slipped out again, Heinz staying behind to trigger the bombs' explosion.  
  
The SS team hid in the sewers beneath the city. At 1:00 AM, Goring signaled Heinz, and the bombs were detonated.  
  
3 miles away, a squadron of MiG-27 fighters was patrolling the skies for any incoming rockets. The squadron leader was banking his fighter for one more pass over Shanghai when a powerful light turned night into day.  
  
Banking hard, he yelled into his comm. "NUKE!" The MiGs scattered, flying away as fast as they could away from the blast.  
  
They weren't fast enough.  
  
The unbelievable shock wave shattered every piece of glass in the city and snapped metal beams close to the center building. Three of the fleeing MiGs were caught in it and smashed into building already collapsing.  
  
Shanghai was devastated.  
  
Taipei, ROC  
  
Ten minutes later . . .  
  
General Rommel was going over his maps of the landing area. If his plan went as it was supposed to, the area around Shanghai would be disorganized and ripe for the taking. Germany would have her revenge.  
  
An aide burst into the room and saluted. "General Rommel! We've gotten the first reports from Shanghai! Your bomb exploded as planned, and Goring reports that it was more powerful than originally thought."  
  
Rommel turned, smiling grimly. "Excellent. Tell the invasion fleet to make for Shanghai immediately."  
  
The aide shot his right arm out. "Heil Schroeder!"  
  
Rommel smiled. "Heil Schroeder"  
  
May 6, 2002 AD  
  
Ten miles outside San Antonio, Texas, United States of America  
  
San Antonio was gone. Burned to the ground by the attacking Chinese, who had also gone out of their way to slaughter the entire population of the city.  
  
Lt. General Mike Williams was pissed. A native Texan, the mere idea of these Chinks setting foot on his state's land was enough to whip him into a rage. But now, they had destroyed the most famous building in all of Texas – The Alamo, the old mission where Texans had stood and died for Texan independence in the 19th century.  
  
A scout ran up to the Lt. General. "Sir, we've received a message from the Chinese demanding our surrender."  
  
Williams turned a harsh stare on the scout. "Fire artillery at the bastards."  
  
Nervously, the scout responded, "Yes, sir" and ran off to give the order.  
  
Williams turned and addressed his troops. "Men, today the State of Texas has lost one of her most prized monuments. The Chink bastards have burned down the Alamo!" The faces of the 1st Texan Division grew hard.  
  
Sensing his men's rage, Williams inflamed it by paraphrasing one of the most famous quotes in the history of Texas. "The enemy has demanded surrender, I have ordered our answer to be an artillery barrage. Our flag still waves here, and it will never fall! We shall never surrender or retreat! VICTORY OR DEATH!"  
  
As the men roared their approval, the artillery barrage began, hammering the enemy lines and blasting several tanks into scrap. The other T-90s rumbled forward, firing back at the lines where the Texans hid inside their trenches.  
  
The American artillery fell silent as several MiG-27s raced in and bombarded the few guns. With the artillery demolished, not much hope remained for the Americans as the T-90s rumbled forward.  
  
Suddenly, a colossal shape roared down from the sky, impacting the lead T- 90. The tanks vaporized in an immense detonation.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?" bellowed Williams, as another titanic explosion decimated the incoming tanks.  
  
Lt. Paisley turned his binoculars to the east, where a large black dot sat on the horizon. His eyes widened. "Holy shit, sir! I think you should see this!"  
  
Williams looked through his stronger binoculars and gasped. It was one hell of an artillery gun, bigger that the Alamo had been. It was hurling shells the size of Volkswagens, for Pete's sake!  
  
Williams whispered in a thick voice as tears welled in his eyes. "Shiva . . ." he breathed. 


	8. The Turning Point

HG and Dooly: Yes, there are two Chinese factions. You'll see when I get to posting the History chapter. The big/bad ass artillery is called a Shiva Gun, a special artillery courtesy of Area 51. And the weapon used on Shanghai was not a Nuke.  
  
May 7, 2002 AD Fuehrer's Office, Berlin, Greater German Reich  
  
Fuehrer Schroeder smiled at the figure in front of him. "Agent Blue, for your excellent work in providing Germany plans for this 'F.A.E.' device, I have chosen to reward you with this..." Opening his hand, the Fuehrer exposed an Iron Cross, the highest award in Germany, equal to an American Medal of Honor.  
  
Bubbles held still as the Fuehrer pinned the medal to her chest, barely allowing a thin smile to cross her face. When she had entered the intelligence business, she'd never thought it would take her this far...  
  
May 7, 2002 Shanghai, People's Republic of China  
  
General Rommel surveyed the damage the Fuel-Air Explosion had caused. An entire city had been smashed, with no harmful effects on anyone...besides those caught in the initial blast. His commando team had returned unscathed, save for Heinz, and plans were already being made to give him a state funeral.  
  
Rommel smiled. His grandfather would have been proud to see the new strategies Germany had invented over the years. Rommel climbed back up into his command tank, a Tiger VIII, and called over the radio. "Men of the armies of the German Reich and the Republic of China, today we have achieved a great victory! We are the first to conquer Red Chinese soil! We will press onward, crushing all who oppose our might! The Communist regime will fall by our hands!"  
  
Summer 2002 AD The World  
  
The massive war continued raging across Asia and North America. But the turning point of the war had been reached. China was now fighting the three strongest nations on the planet, and with Germany's powerful and fresh military gaining a foothold on the Chinese homeland itself, the days were numbered for the Communist regime.  
  
The Chinese were not amateurs to warfare, having successfully fought off the Japanese in the Eastern Rim War of 1931-1943. Unfortunately, they were fighting under the old rules of war, the first of which was "Never get into a land war in Asia".  
  
Times had changed, though, and China was now learning the new number one rule of war: "Never piss off the United States". The American industrial machine had successfully shifted gears from peace to war, and even now, even with the western 1/3 of the country in Chinese hands, the US was still producing more weapons and arms than the whole of China. Secret labs all over America, led by Blossom at Area 51, continued to pump out dozens of new technologies for the war effort.  
  
Red China had failed to defeat the United States quickly enough. Now that the awesome industrial might and the even more overwhelming spirit of the American people had been awakened, nothing would stop the US from crushing the military of Red China.  
  
Nothing.  
  
May 31, 2002 AD Somewhere over Ohio, United States of America  
  
The helicopter roared low over the landscape, scattering birds and sending deer running for cover. President Utonium stared out the window, his thoughts jumbled. His eyes turned, focusing on damaged homes and crushed cars, all following from the Chinese rocket attacks. Utonium's fists tightened. The goddamn Chinese invaded his country for seemingly no reason at all! Millions of lives had been cut short or disrupted from those sons- of-bitches. Utonium's eyes burned with hatred. He would make them pay for each and every American life they had poisoned . . .  
  
The First Lady of the United States, Sandra Keane, was sitting on the opposite side of the helicopter. She knew exactly what her husband was feeling, even though he hadn't spoken a word since appearing in Cleveland. Keane's eyes filled with tears. The strain of the past 15 months had taken its toll on the President. No longer a charming, personable man, Utonium's personality change had been so complete that many people in the news and both major political parties believed the President was going insane. Keane wasn't sure what to believe. Her husband was like a completely different man now . . .  
  
The First Lady was reaching her hand to touch her husband's shoulder when the sky burst open with the sound of Thor's Hammer.  
  
May 31, 2002 AD NORAD Headquarters, Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado, United States of America  
  
"My God...." Every warning sign and alert signal in NORAD had just blasted on at full strength. The unthinkable had occurred – a nuclear attack on the United States.  
  
"Recording location!"  
  
"Recording megatonnage!"  
  
"Holy shit! Sir, sir get over here!"  
  
The General rushed over. "What is it?"  
  
"Sir, the President was flying in Marine One in that area. I can't pick up the helicopter on any screen!"  
  
"My God...." The General swiftly walked to a large red telephone on the wall. "We have an emergency. The President is most likely dead. Sign Price in now. Yes, NOW, damn it!"  
  
May 31, 2002 AD Somewhere in Ohio  
  
The crashed, mangled wreckage of the helicopter laid where it had smashed into the side of a small hill. Flopping out of one window was a broken and bloody hand. The hand of the President of the United States . . . 


	9. Nuclear War

June 1, 2002 AD 

Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, between California and Hawaii

The Chinese Admiral stared ahead, into the fog just barely coming up over the horizon. He was the commander of Red China's one and only aircraft carrier, the _Red Dragon_. The massive carrier was surrounded by 13 battleships, 16 destroyers and 19 cruisers. Together, this powerful naval force marked fully 2/3rds of Red China's 'blue-water' navy.

Not for long, though, for 2 miles away lay the _USS Daggerfish_, a nuclear powered and nuclear equipped submarine, one of the few that survived the destruction of the US Pacific Fleet. Its captain was one of the many US military leaders who had welcomed the newest order from Washington DC.

Weapons Free. The order that had never been called. In effect, Weapons Free meant any US commander with a certain code could use nuclear weapons at his or her discretion. Captain James Mitchell was one of those commanders. The order was given and three 40-kiloton-tipped torpedoes shot out of the forward torpedo tubes. 

Less than three minutes later, what was left of the Chinese fleet was quickly sinking to the bottom. The USS Daggerfish, safely riding out the triple blast wave from its position under the surface, turned smoothly and began hunting again.

June 16, 2002 AD

Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, United States of America

The hills were moving. Or at least, that's what seemed to be happening. What was really happened was the deployment of seven of the most powerful machines of war the planet Earth had ever seen. The Shiva Mark IIs were well over 170 feet tall, with 12,000 horsepower engines and insanely powerful guns.

It was enough to make tears come to the eyes of Colonel O'Brien, veteran of the six Battles of Denver. The Colonel smiled as he finished inspecting his own Shiva II, named "Bun-Bun", grinning wider when he saw the two-story-tall picture of a gray and white rabbit wielding a switchblade and shouting "Let's ROCK, Chink-boy!"

Jumping into the cockpit, O'Brien aided his gunner with the final checklists. The mighty Shiva gun rolled forward a few feet more and halted. Then, at precisely 3 in the afternoon, all seven Shiva IIs raised their massive gun barrels, aiming at the Chinese lines close to 75 miles away. At 3:15, they fired.

The dominating blast echoed through the entire mountain range, causing rockslides and avalanches on several Chinese positions. Then, it got worse for the Chinese. The Shiva II shells were each 15 feet long and each was packed with 100-kiloton nuclear bombs. The resulting detonations and concussion waves knocked the entire Chinese front line from Canada to Mexico out of commission.

17 divisions of M1A1 tanks, the most powerful tank ever made, roared through the gaps, followed by 25 divisions of crack US troops. All the while, the mighty Shiva blasted anything too dangerous that got into range. The Chinese were broken and ahead lay the Pacific and the western states, soon to be theirs again.

The Americans, for the first time in the war, were taking the offensive.

The Last Half of 2002 AD

Elsewhere, the Chinese were also falling back hard. With their homeland having suffered 26 nuclear strikes in two weeks, many soldiers began to question the war. Mass desertions became common in the Western United States as the rebuild and reinforced American Army crushed the battered and broken Red Chinese Army. 

When Americans retook the Panama Canal in September of 2002, the US Atlantic Fleet also made its appearance. All Chinese shipment to their forces in the US dropped to nothing. With no supplies or ammunition, the remainder of the Chinese Army in the Western US surrendered on November 19, 2002.

The Russians had also made a comeback, hurling their massive army against the Chinese lines. With the assistance of their own nuclear weapons, the Russians had also completely forced the Chinese out of Siberia by December 1.

The German/Nationalist Chinese alliance had paid off enormously. With Red China's army spread so thin, the combined force was too much for the Communists to contain. Like a tidal wave, they spread across Southern China, sweeping aside all resistance with minor support from Germany's nuclear stockpile. By December 15, it seemed the war was about to end.

Then came The Winter. The sheer amount of nuclear devices detonated in such a short time had drastic consequences for Earth's climate. 

The winter of 2002-2003 seemed mild at first. The dropping temperatures were mainly in the frozen wastes of Siberia, Alaska, and Canada at first, and no one took notice. Then it came, on the night of December 16, 2002. The coldest temperature winds ever recorded in those areas lashed the Eurasian and North American continents, reaching down into the single digits on the Fahrenheit scale.

As fuel supplies ran low, all of the warring governments were forced to stop all military engagements in order to keep enough fuel to heat their nations. The Germans called it the Eiskrieg, or frozen war, a term soon picked up by news station all around the Earth.

In the dead of The Winter, February 6, 2003, representatives of the Allies and the ComIntern agreed to a nuclear cease-fire. Nuclear weapons were again off the table.

But still The Winter dragged on . . .

2002 Nuclear Use Summary: 102

Total Allies: 90

America: 45

Germany: 16

Russia: 24

Nationalist China: 5

Total ComIntern: 12

Communist China: 10

Japan (occupation gov't): 2

Other: 1

Britain: 1 (non-combat thermonuclear weapons test in South Atlantic)

A/N: Kind of short, I know, but bringing this war to an end is a little tougher than what I originally thought. Oh well. The next chapter will update you all on the PPG and the status of (ex?) President Utonium.


	10. The End of the Line

Geez, sorry about the delay, everyone. I've had a horrible case of writer's block.

Powerpuff Girls: Shattered Reality

Chapter 10

February 2003

The Red Chinese counterattack came fast and hard. Brand-new cold-weather tanks roared through the ice and snow of The Winter and beat the Allies back. Germany/Nationalist China fell back to a small strip of land along the coastline near the ruins of Shanghai. Russian lines compressed back into Siberia, and the US was forced into inactivity. The sheer vastness of the Pacific protected Red China and its vassal in Japan.

February 23, 2003

Area 51, United States of America

The sounds emitted from behind the thick steel door were positively blistering. "Hey, Paul, how long to you think she can keep it up?" grinned one of the security guards as he passed another on patrol. "Dunno, Bill. How long has she been in there?"

Bill smirked widely. "About 20 minutes. You'd think she'd at least move to another room. There must not be any paint at all left on the walls in there."

Just then, the steel door slid open and there stood a thoroughly pissed-off Powerpuff. Both security guards immediately shut up and started walking a little faster away. Blossom just gave then an annoyed look and floated into the situation room.

"General!" she barked as she floated in. "How in any level of Hell did the Chinese pull off a counter-attack?!"

"Reports are scattered", the General said, unnerved by the Powerpuff's anger. "But apparently, the Chinks had several divisions of tanks specially adapted for Siberian conditions, which with The Winter still on, is perfect for operations in mainland China now."

Blossom rammed her hand down into a nearby desk, shattering the wooden object into firewood. "God, damn them! We were on the fing edge of victory!"

The General nodded. "I know. It gets worse, though. The Reds are building fortifications around the German and Russian lines. By the time this weather gets back to normal, mainland China will be practically unassailable without the use of nuclear weapons. And every scientist I've talked to says the next winter will be even worse if any nukes go off."

Blossom's eyes burned, actually glowing red in the medium darkness of the room. "So, if we don't force a surrender by about April, we won't be able to win."

"Correct."

"And, our one other ace-in-the-hole, the Shiva guns, are too big and heavy to be loaded onto any ship that can be built by then, or any ship that can be built before next year. And even the Shivas can't fire across the Pacific. The few ACS we have are tough, but even they can't take the entire Red Chinese Army by themselves. We can still take Japan out, but that won't do much except make the Chinks increase their fort-building."

"That's the gist of it, yes."

Blossom's anger seemed almost to flare around her, like her entire body was on fire. "What about WM-1?"

"They completed it this morning. The only problem is the power source. Our fission reactor is off-line, and will be so for months. Right now, we don't have anything that can power it."

Blossom growled under her breath. "Keep them working on it, General. As soon as WM-1 is ready, we're going to use it. I may not get to see Red China ground into the dirt like it deserves to be, but I'll be damned if I'll let them get off that easy."

The General shook his head as Blossom floated out of the room. "Damn, she needs a vacation . . ."

March 7, 2003

Tokyo, Japan

Buttercup landed in the middle of a street, black cloak fluttering behind her. Tanks marked with a blood red star rumbled down the street towards her. "So, you want some of this? Bring it on, you bastards!" Buttercup yelled as a green sphere of energy flashed into being around her.

With a roar of anger, the sphere expanded, ripping the road apart, shattering buildings, and lifting the tanks into the air as they melted. Buttercup smiled as the soldiers caught in the blast disintegrated. She had absorbed more than heat from that thermonuclear bomb. Its radiation had mixed with the Chemical X in her blood, producing some very pleasing results.

The green Puff laughed as she flipped over the wreckage towards another group of tanks. "Greetings from America, ya jackasses!" she shouted as blindingly bright radiation blasted from her hands, melting the tanks and instantly killing the soldiers. Laughing maniacally, Buttercup continued her path of destruction through Tokyo.

The next day, the Communist government of Japan dissolved and the newly reformed Republic of Japan signed a peace treaty with the United States.

March 23, 2003

Area 51, United States of America

"THAT'S IT!" Blossom yelled, breaking the silence of Area 51 at dawn.

Bursting through the door of the situation room, Blossom grabbed the General by the front of his uniform. "I know how to power the WM-1!"

"I heard, Blossom", the General said, shaking his head to try to get some hearing back in his left ear. "What idea do you have?"

"We use my energy. The Chemical X in my body is naturally radioactive, I can release enough energy to power the WM-1!"

The General was shocked. "But, at the level the WM-1 needs, it could kill you!"

Blossom's eyes glowed again. "I don't care. Those bastards killed my father, I'm going to cause them as much pain and suffering as I can, even if I have to die to do it."

Two Hours Later

Blossom was hooked into the power core of the WM-1, a massive structure standing 200 feet tall, with five towers rising another 50 feet above that. A spherical construction topped each of the towers, with the largest sphere on top of the central tower.

"Blossom, are you sure about this?"

"Yes, General, now stop asking. Once the Chinks get a cityful of this, they'll be crawling to us, begging for mercy."

The General sighed. "Alright. You outrank me, so I can't stop you. Godspeed, Blossom" He saluted as the lead door was shut, trapping the Puff inside the power core.

Blossom smiled. "Thank you, General." Blossom then stretched out to her full length and made sure the chamber was sealed. No matter how much she wanted revenge, she didn't want to kill anybody on this side of the Pacific. When her inspection was complete, Blossom closed her eyes. "NOW!" she yelled.

Outside, the General flipped a switch and the WM-1 began to drain Blossom's energy to power itself.

Blossom smiled as the temperature rose inside the chamber to unbelievable heights. " 'From Hell's heart, I stab at thee. For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee . . ." Then, laughing, she released all of her body's energy in one mighty burst.

The resulting electro-magnetic pulse set off alarms in every early-warning system on Earth. But, once they realized no missiles were launching, the nations wrote it off as a fluke.

How wrong they were.

25,000 miles above the Earth's surface, an American satellite intercepted a powerful beam from Area 51, following its design, the satellite amplified the beam and fired it off again, this time towards China. The energy impacted Earth's atmosphere just above Beijing.

March 24, 2003

Beijing, Red China

The Premier of the Chinese Communist party, the master of China, sighed. This war had boomeranged, and though China was holding its own now, too much had happened. Soon he would have to ask for peace, and time to rebuild his country.

Outside, the sky was growing dark, and the Premier sighed again. This Winter was quickly becoming a vast pain in the ass. More snowstorms were likely, and he'd have to divert even more power to the northern regions.

He never saw the lighting blast that tore his office to shreds and flattened the 'White House' of China. Terawatt lighting blasts were hammering the Forbidden City.

By the time the storm cleared, the capital of Communist China was smoking rubble and dead bodies.


	11. EpilogueTimeline

Guh, sorry this is so late. I've been busy recently and I forgot to upload it... ;; Silly me..

Powerpuff Girls: Shattered Reality  
  
Epilogue  
  
May 28, 2015  
  
Arlington National Cemetery, just outside of Washington D.C., USA  
  
It was a beautiful day. Only a few small puffs of clouds floated in the serene sky, and a couple of birds were singing in a nearby tree.  
  
Bubbles sighed. A lot had happened in the twelve years since the end of the most destructive war in history. First, the Earth's climate was finally recovering from the nuclear war. Tempuratures all over the planet were slowly returning to normal, and the winters were no longer deadly, save in the extreme north and south ends of the planet.  
  
China's Communist government had fallen after the America Weather Machine blasted Beijing back to the Stone Age. The Nationalists had moved back from Taiwan and had by now made some real progress in rebuilding China.  
  
Germany, Russia, and the United States had formed a mutual self-defense pact, bringing the three mightiest militaries on Earth into a single alliance.  
  
In the Middle East, forces under the control of Germany's junior partner, Israel, crushed a revolt in the occupied Arab nations during the summer of 2010. The area was soon brought back under Axis control.  
  
The United Kingdom slowly regained its status on the world stage, and by 2010 was a major member of the Peacekeeping Alliance. It maintained a peaceful, yet wary relationship with Eire.  
  
Bubbles looked over her shoulder, around the trunk of the tree she was leaning on. The funeral service was still dragging on. 'How are they dragging up so much to talk about when she was a secret agent?' Bubbles thought.  
  
She had changed, as well. No longer an empty-headed kid, the years had done their work. All of her 5-foot, 10-inch frame was muscular, and many would call her beautiful. Much of her distinguishing Powerpuff features had been muted or had simply gone away, like the large eyes and lack of a nose. She smiled sadly. Of course, it wasn't like she got much chance to date, being a triple agent for America, Germany, and Russia was demanding enough.  
  
She was also the last of her family. The war had claimed her father and Blossom, and now they were laying Buttercup to rest. The radiation from the British H-Bomb had increased Buttercup's powers too much. Her body had simply collapsed under the strain.  
  
Hopefully, the same would not happen to her. Her powers had increased as she aged, to the point were she had to stop using most of them, although that was more from being a spy than that they were too dangerous.  
  
She looked behind her again. The casket was finally being lowered into the hallowed gravesite. Bubbles smiled, tears tracing thin lines down her face. "G'bye, sis." she whispered.  
  
Had anyone been watching her, they would have been quite surprised at what happened next. Her form slowly fuzzed and became indistinct, then vanished altogether as five F-25 Hawks blasted overhead in the 'missing man' formation.  
  
The titanic sonic boom, a combination of the one from the planes and the one from Bubbles, shook the area, knocking people down and fluttering the tree branches. You could almost say Buttercup went out with a bang.  
  
By the time her sister's coffin was buried, Bubbles was already deep inside Russia, working on her next assignment.  
  
THE END  
  
And now, for what you've all been waiting for....  
  
The Timeline  
  
1914 - The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand sets World War I into motion. The Allied Powers are England, France, and Russia. The Central Powers are Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire.  
  
1917 - Corporal Adolph Hitler, while fighting in northern France, is hit by an Allied gas barrage. He is temporarily blinded and only escapes death because of a Jewish doctor named Mozoltov dragging him to safety.  
  
1917 - The Russian Revolutions overthrow the czar's regime and bring Vladimir Lenin to power. Also, the United States enter the war on the side of the Allies.  
  
1918 - World War I ends in defeat for Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire. The Treaty of Versailles is harsh, and the warnings of American President Woodrow Wilson go unheeded. Austria-Hungary is broken apart, as is the Ottoman Empire. Bulgaria and Germany lose territory. Germany is saddled with the cost of the war.  
  
1920 - Chinese Communists, encouraged by the success of Communist Russia, begin a civil war in China.  
  
1922 - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics founded. It encompasses all of the former Russian Empire territory, save for the land lost to Poland and Finland.  
  
1924 - Adolph Hitler joins the National Socialist German Worker's Party. The NSDAP begins to attract new members because of Hitler's mastery of speechmaking.  
  
1926 - War between the USSR and Poland. The Red Army is defeated and Poland gains territory. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania break free of the USSR.  
  
1929 - The Great Depression, a worldwide economic collapse, begins.  
  
1931 - The Japanese Empire invades China.  
  
1933 - In a landslide election, the NSDAP becomes the most powerful political party in Germany. Adolph Hitler becomes Chancellor.  
  
1934 - Hitler becomes Fuehrer. He declares the beginning of the Third German Empire.  
  
1936 - Hitler marches troops into the Rhineland, a demilitarized border zone between France and Germany. Britain and France do nothing, as the Rhineland was once totally part of Germany.  
  
1938 - A democratic referendum in Austria shows support for union with Germany. Austria becomes part of the Reich.  
  
1938 - The Munich Conference awards the Czechoslovakian border provinces (Sudetenland) to Germany. Hitler promises he has no more territorial ambitions in Europe  
  
Spring 1939 - Poland announces it has entered into a defensive alliance with Germany. Danzig is given to Germany as payment for the alliance, which is obviously a strategy against the USSR and, to a lesser extent, the West.  
  
Summer 1939 - Revolt in French border provinces. As the French Army crushes the rebellion, several rebels escape into Germany. France accuses Germany of harboring terrorists against the French government and demands the German government's cooperation in catching them. When Germany refuses, France declares war.  
  
Fall 1939 - French attempts to invade Germany fail. Britain remains silent, and the US declares its neutrality.  
  
Winter 1939 - The German counterattack, led by Generals Rommel and Manstein, is a smashing success. The blitzkrieg tears apart the French Army, and Paris is occupied by New Years. France surrenders, and the French mainland is occupied by Germany. Luxembourg and Belgium are annexed.  
  
Winter 1939 - The USSR presses land claims on Finland. Finland refuses to cede the claims, and the USSR invades.  
  
Spring 1940 - The UK tells Germany to leave French soil within six weeks or be at war with the Commonwealth. Hitler, bolstered by the swift collapse of France, responds by annexing European France into the German Reich.  
  
Summer 1940 - Germany goes to war with the Commonwealth. British forces prove unable to breach Germany's hastily-contructed Atlantic Wall, while the German Air Force smashes Britain's RAF.  
  
Fall 1940 - Operation Northern Fury is a great success. The Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway collapse to Germany even as Finland is annexed by the USSR. Britain, badly humiliated, agrees to a peace treaty acknowledging Germany's mastery of Europe. In return, Hitler promises to leave the British Empire alone.  
  
Winter 1940 - Poland betrays Germany and attacks. Czechoslovakia also invades, eager to regain her lost land. Germany is caught off-guard and loses a good deal of territory before the hastily deployed army can halt their advance.  
  
Spring 1941 - The Balkan Coalition forms, composed of Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, Albania, and Greece. They declare war on Germany. Italy also joins in, hoping to stop Germany before it gets too powerful.  
  
Summer 1941 - Germany launches a crushing counterattack. By the beginning of summer, Warsaw and Prague are in German hands. The two nations try to negotiate peace, but Hitler refuses.  
  
Fall 1941 - Czechoslovakia and Poland are annexed. Germany and the USSR broker a deal to divide Eastern Europe between them. As part of the deal, eastern Poland is given to the USSR.  
  
Winter 1941 - The Balkans collapse. Revolts caused by the overwhelming strength of Germany's military bring down all the governments of the Balkans. Germany annexes the region December 9, 1941. Italy also sues for peace. Germany accepts, but the terms make Italy into little more than a special province of the German Reich. Following the terms of the treaty with the USSR, Germany turns over several former Romanian territories to the Soviet Union.   
  
Winter 1941 - Japan bombs San Francisco, Pearl Harbor, and ?onquers several US islands in the Pacific, bringing the United States into war.  
  
1941-1946 - The British Empire crumbles as the various groups take advantage of Britain's humilation to declare independence.  
  
1943-1946 - As the British Empire collapses, Germany steps into several strategic places, such as the Middle East. The areas become puppet states to Germany.  
  
1941-1944 - The Pacific War rages as America throws all the power of its vast industrial base into crushing Japan.  
  
Fall 1944 - A crude American Atomic Bomb detonates in Kyoto, destroying the city. Japan surrenders a week later.  
  
1944 - Border disputes threaten war between the USSR and Germany. The disputes are settled in a week-long conference in Washington DC.  
  
1947 - The Communists win the Chinese Civil War. With ample support from the USSR, they set up a new government, and the Nationalists are banished to Taiwan.  
  
1955 - Germany detonates the first Hydrogen bomb. An arms race begins between the Big Three.  
  
1956 - Fulfilling his promise to aid the Jews, Hitler sets up a client state in former Palestine, called Israel. Israel is a staunch ally of Germany and acts as its enforcer in the Middle East.  
  
1958 - The first artificial satellite, Sputnik, is sent up by the USSR.  
  
1961 - The first man in space is sent up by Germany.  
  
1970 - The USA is the first nation to land on the Moon. The USSR is second, followed by Germany.  
  
1977 - The Moon Bases are shut down, as all three countries undergo a serious recession. By the time the recession subsides, the 'space fever' has gone down.  
  
1985 - Italy is formally annexed into the Reich after the death of Mussolini's son.  
  
1989 - The USSR begins to crack apart as riots form in the Ukraine and Belarus.  
  
1991 - The USSR falls apart, breaking into 14 republics: Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Ajerbajan, Kasakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekastan, and Kyrgkastan. Finland also regains its independence.  
  
1995 - The US imposes trade barriers on Red China after several revolts are crushed brutally. China begins planning war.  
  
May 19, 1996 - Professor Utonium creates the Powerpuff Girls in his laboratory in Townsville, USA.  
  
1998 - America refuses to relax trade barriers until China improves its human rights standings. Russia and Germany back up the US. The barriers from all three major powers nearly crash the Red Chinese economy.  
  
1999 - Ireland revolts, throwing the British Army out of the island within six weeks.  
  
2000 - John Utonium wins the election for President of the United States, barely edging out Al Gore.  
  
2000 - Irish Army invades the British mainisle.  
  
2001-2003 - The World War rages. Red China's invasion was sparked by the imminent collapse of their economy because of the painful trade blocks set up by the US, Russia and Germany.


End file.
